Make Your Own Gear

There are few things more satisfying in the backpacking experience than finding yourself miles from the nearest trailhead and realizing that your comfort and safety comes from gear created by your own hands.

In the early years of the ultralight hiking, being good with a sewing machine was as much a necessary skill as knowing where to pitch a tarp or finding shelter above treeline. With the introduction of a lot ultralight gear on to the market, that need has diminished.

If you're someone who finds making their own gear almost as enjoyable as using it, we want to help support your efforts. From time to time, we'll publish plans for items of gear that we think are relatively easy to build while providing a good addition to your ultralight gear inventory. These plans may include products that have or are planning on producing commercially.

We hope you respect the time we've invested into these plans and treat them accordingly. We do hope you feel free to take these plans, modify them as need be and make gear for yourself or your family. If you find an innovated addition or change, please feel free to let us know.

The publication of these plans does not give you license to use them to produce gear that can sold.

Sewing Projects

• Night Wing Tarptent - This Ultralight centenary shaped tarptent provides the maximum amount of protection with a minimum of weight.
• Meteor Bivy - Combine this innovative Bivy with a poncho/tarp and you've got a truly versatile shelter system / rain gear and ultralight at barely more than a pound.

Alcohol Stoves

Alcohol stoves are incredibly easy to build and can easily cut your pack weight by over a pound. The two links below will start you on your adventure in ultralight cooking.

• Alcohol Stove Overview
• Fallingwater Stove

Fabric Suppliers

• Lightweight Backpacker Homemade Gear - A selection of gear that you can easily make.
• Thru-Hiker.com - Includes a selection of gear that you can easily make, along with numerous tips.
• Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics - Supplier of fabrics, (including 1.1oz Sil Ripstop) hardware, patterns etc for the person who wants to put together their own outdoor gear.
• Seattle Fabrics - Specializing in outdoor fabrics, (including 1.9 oz Silicone Nylon Ripstop) hardware, and patterns.